New Year, New You…

1st January 2014

We’re sure you’ve read a whole raft of blog posts on New Year’s resolutions, changes you should make to make your life more fulfilled, but in the short-term inevitably take a back seat to everyday life.

Fair enough. We’re not here to judge; but, as all the self-help books say, worthwhile life-improvements aren’t about the measures you decide to implement because it’s the first of the month. They happens gradually as new habits become ingrained. So, this year, instead of making resolutions you know you won’t keep, start smaller and, every day take one little step towards a happier, healthier you…And you can start my fixing your sleeping habits…

Take a bath – the water is relaxing for the muscles, soothes the mind and helps soften the skin. Boosting your body temperature will also help you get to sleep faster.

Be more efficient – a little time invested in planning helps avoid potentially stressful scenarios further down the road. Organising your clothes for the next day will help speed up your mornings. Establishing night time routines of this nature will help your body recognise that bedtime is imminent.

Tick one thing off your ‘to do list’ – those jobs that loiter at the bottom of your planner will stay there indefinitely if you don’t tackle them. Just tick off one, and then you can relax.

Dim the lights – in the modern world, we rely a lot on artificial light to help us work well beyond sundown. That’s great for productivity, but our bodies are designed to follow the day’s natural rhythms. When light levels drop our body releases the chemical melatonin, which makes you sleepy.

Cry – watch a sad movie and have a weep. It’s a healthy form of emotional release. It’s not good to harbour negative feelings and worse still to go to bed feeling angry or upset.

Embrace a fear – it may be challenging yourself to hold a spider or to look down from the top floor of a tall skyscraper. Mastering our fears is empowering and, once you come down from the adrenaline high, you’ll sleep much more soundly.

Get off the scales – pledging to be healthier, rather than thinner, is a much more likely route to successful weight loss. As studies have shown that exhaustion can contribute to weight gain, be sure to get enough beauty sleep.

Slow down – taste your food, breathe deeply, think before you speak. The entire world may be in such a rush, but you don’t have to be. Stimulants like coffee, tea and energy drinks may seem like a good idea, but will wreak havoc with your sleeping patterns.

Change your sheets – is there anything more luxurious than the feeling of climbing into a freshly made bed? Investing in some nice fabric softener may be the difference between a good and bad night’s sleep. Fragrances such as lavender and camomile have relaxing effects, which may help improve your sleep.

Turn off the screens – learn to be comfortable in your own company. Read a book, play a board game, give yourself time to wind-down before bed.